Essential Expectation of Life

[Rebec]

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” (Alexander Pope)

How the f*ck can you achieve this? Everybody has some kind of expectation of life, right? There is always an ongoing mission to make yourself happy... so my question, how can you NOT chase happiness?

[ColdFacts]

By failing to achieve it with style. So it's a win anyway.

[Bill W]

With expectations, demands, clinging, attachment etc, I view it as "progress rather than perfection". I have no doubt that the more I drop them, the easier my life will be. 

In terms of your question, I don't believe (for me anyway), I will ever be free of expectation, and I'm not sure I'd want to be. I'm not sure I need to be free of it completely. 

However, just in terms of being pragmatic, I am sure that my expectations of life and others fucks me up more than it helps me. 

[Truth Addict]

@Rebec

You can still expect things but you don't have to invest your emotions in them.

Expect on the intellectual level, and be detached on the emotional level.

It's possible!

[Rebec]

@ColdFacts thanks

@Bill W moderation, work in progress, I get it, thanks

@Truth Addict Could you please elaborate on your statement. Is it even possible to pursuit happiness on an intellectual level without emotions, happiness is an emotion, isn't?

[mandyjw]

It's about enjoying the process, not the end result. It's sort of like building a sandcastle. You know it's going to get washed away, but you have fun building it anyway. 

So stop and smell the roses, look at the sky, don't be so focused on accomplishments and doing things for sake of getting something from them. We all get pulled in so forgive yourself for having expectations, a lot of the time we make them unconsciously. 

[Truth Addict]

@Rebec Happiness can only be found right now. The future is an illusion, and expectations are never true because they're mere thoughts and fantasies. So, it's not even possible to pursue happiness to begin with because it's already right here, while most people aren't able to see it. The very act of pursuit will only get you further from happiness. If you stop expecting and chasing you will find it. And of course, you can still work for the future, chase success and whatever you like, only now from a more powerful place, which is peace and acceptance.

I also agree with what @mandyjw said. She did greatly explain happiness from a different perspective.

[Dan502]

If a child expects to catch a glimpse of Santa at Christmas, he or she may be disappointed to find out Santa isn't real.

We can grow out of our expectations.

Edited June 3, 2019 by Dan502